Kinapping for Ransom, or KFR, has been largely relegated to four portions of Mindanao:
1) Cotabato City and Liguasan Marsh, covering all of Central Mindanao and points south down to GenSan, as General Santos City is known.
2) Zamboanga Peninsula, including the offshore province of Basilan,
3) Jolo Island and Tawi Tawi Province to the south of it,
4) Marawi City and both Lanao Provinces.
KFR does occur elsewhere but most cases outside of those four nexuses are opportunistic crimes unrelated to the highly organized criminal enterprises being used to fund political objectives. Of all Mindanowan Regions, Region 13, usually referred to as Caraga, has long been immune to the cancer of KFR. Those politically-related kidnappings that have occurred are almost always undertaken by the NPA. During Election Seasons the NPA taps each candidate down to the barangay level with an appeal for "Revolutionary Taxes," in what the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) cheekily calls, "Permit to Campaign" (PTC), or in the 2010 Election, "Permit to Win" (PTW).
While the recent KFR of Victor Lim Tan, the former Mayor of Carrascal, in Surigao del Sur on May 21st, 2012, was reason enough to pay close attention, another incident taking place just nine days later showed that a worrisome dynamic just may be shaping up.
Indeed, the second incident ALSO targetted a former mayor from the same region. On May 30th, 2012, the former Mayor of Placer, Charry T.Mangacop was also abducted. Mangacop had just stepped out of his Barangay Bonifacio home and was securing himself into his Mitsubishi Montero when one of two men hiding in its rear seat quickly placed a leather noose around Mangacop's neck. As Charry Mangacop began to lose consciousness the two men dragged him into the rear seat and hogtied him while pummeling him about the chest and abdomen. Once tied, Mangacop had packaging tape wrapped around his head, over his mouth, before a "bonnet"- Philippine speak for a "ski-hat"- was placed on his head and pulled down hard, over his eyes.
With Mangacop incapacitated in the rear seat, one gunman moved into the driver's seat and pulled out of Mangacop's compound at Sitio Kilometer #28, and onto National Hiway. Upon clearing the sitio.the SUV pulled over onto the shoulder of the hiway, allowing two other men, both presumably armed, to get into idling vehicle.
After a seven hour drive along Mindanao's Northern Coast, Mangacop was able to recognize Cagayan del Oro City but still the Montero continued on. Skirting Iligan City the SUV made its way into Lanao del Norte Province, and there, in an isolated jungle clearing the Montero came to a stop. Untying Mangacop's ankles, his captors ordered him to dismount from the SUV, warning him that should he attempt to escape he would be shot in the back and left to rot where he lay. Acknowledging the warning Mangacop fell in behind the two captors leading the motley crew and saw one of the four gunmen climb back into the Montero before driving away with it. Thus the group began an uphill trek in the afternoon heat.
A mid afternoon siesta in an upland clearing was interrupted by the arrival of a dozen BIAF guerillas from the 116 Base Command. Greeting Mangacop's three captors warmly, the leader of the guerilla band rudely forced Mangacop to his feet and began leading him over winding foot paths that traversed the isolated foothills that run along the Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur Provincial border. As the day turned into evening Mangacop calculated they had walked at least 10 kilometers. As stars appeared overhead the group suddenly entered a jungle clearing filled with dozens of BIAF guerillas. The BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces-as the armed wing of the MILF is known- receives practically no financial support from its parent organization (the MILF). Each Base Command, synonymous with a "Brigade" in a conventional military organization, is left to fend for itself. A few of the 19 Base Commands have turned to KFR to augment whatever else they manage to shake out of a terrified publics' pockets.
"Zakat," or "Charity," is one of the "Five Pillars of Islam," actions and/or attributes incumbent upon all adult Muslims. Charity in this case is conveyed as support of Islam and/or Muslims. What better way to support both Islam AND Muslims, then to support the MILF/BIAF? After all, the BIAF is fighting in defense of both, or so says the MILF/BIAF narrarative. Ergo, even the poorest of Filipino Muslims is turning their pockets inside and out, in hopes if handing over as many centavos as possible. In addition, non-Muslims are "compelled" to contribute via the BIAF's version of "Revolutionary Taxation." After all the MILF tells us, wont non-Muslims benefit just as much from MILF governance?
For some BIAF Base Commands, Zakat and Revolutionary Taxation do not come close to cutting it. Some, like the 113 (covering the Zamboanga Peninsula, some of its offshore islands and a sliver of Region 10), the population is overwhelmingly non-Muslim. Others, like the aforementioned 116, control a very small territory and are constantly under pressure from much larger and more powerful Base Commands, in this case, the 101 and 102. Forced to look elsewhere, they turn to KFR. Kidnapping for Ransom of non-Muslims is conveniently supported by "Shari'a," or Islamic Jurisprudence. In addition, kidnapping is a traditional pursuit for most of Mindanao's Islamicised Tribes.
It was after midnite, on May 31st, when Mangacop, was led to a small group of horses. Helped atop one, his horse was tethered to another, and his wrists were still tightly bound, to prevent escape. The small group then made its way onto a meandering foot path and soon left the larger group of BIAF guerillas behind. Making its way up steep hills it was soon apparent to Mangacop that they had left the foothills of the provincial border and entered the mountains...therefore it was quite clear that they had crossed the border into Lanao del Sur Province.
Just before dawn the party entered a clearing near the top of a particular mountain and came to a ramshackle nipa, as the bamboo framed and palmleaf thatched huts are known. Perched atop stilts, and offering a panoramic view of the countryside around them- it had as perfect an early warning system as one could possibly hope for should anyone think to search that forlorn corner of the island.
When Mangacop failed to return to his home that evening, his wife Luzviminda Sala Mangacop, began worrying. Although her husband had failed in his bid to gain re-election in 2010, he had plenty of pressing responsibilities. Like any politician on Mindanao, Mangacop had used his term in office to enrich himself. Among his profitmaking enterprises is a long term heavy equipment contract with Tag-anito Mining Corporation. If that name sounds at all familiar to readers it is because Tag-anito was one of the mining companies targeted in the astronomical NPA assault on Red Mountain in the municipality of Placer-yes, the very same town where Mangacop sat as Mayor-in October of 2011 (see my NPA Armed Contacts for the Fourth Quarter of 2011 entries on what was Mindanao's most economically damaging attack by the NPA yet). Six months earlier, on May 25th, 2011, the NPA's Front 16, of the Northeast Mindanao Regional Committee, or NEMRC, attacked Mangacop's compound.
On the day in question, Mangacop, his wife Luzviminda, and their driver, Jaculba Madera, were all sitting down to supper when six well armed guerillas ran into the house through its rear door. Taking all three by gunpoint, first to a neighbours home, then out to National Hiway, the other twenty-four guerillas set about divesting Mangacop of two liscenced M653s ("Baby M16s") and a 45 caliber pistol, along with an unliscenced
shotgun and second 45 caliber pistol. The NPA then burned an Isuzu dual axle dump truck worth P1.6 Million ($30,000), one Fuzo Canter mini-dump truck worth P400,000 ($9,500), one Fuzo Canter with a van body, worth P700,000 ($11,000), one Hitachi excavator, worth P1.5 Million ($30,000), and one Komatsu bulldozer, worth P1 Million ($20,000). It has been a hellish twelve months for Charry T.Magnacop.
On June 4th the KFR organization's negotiator contacted Luzviminda with the initial ransom demand. As is always the case the negotiator's opening gambit consisted of a terse demand for an astronomical sum, P300 Million ($6 Million). Long before a victim is abducted the people planning his or her kidnapping have fully investigated the intended victim's financial situation. The astronomical demand is meant to put a victim's loved ones on the defensive, to increase their feeling of vulnerability and hopelessness. Warning Luzviminda not to report the kidnapping to the authorities, the negotiator promised to call again.
To her credit, Luzviminda handled the negotiations herself and on June 13th she finally settled on P5 Million ($100,000). After using up their entire cash reserve and borrowing from family members, Luzviminda was still far short of the agreed upon sum. Finally able to secure an emergency cash loan from their primary bank, Luzviminda informed the negotiator that she was ready to pay the agreed upon sum when he next contacted her, on June 15th.
The next morning, June 16th, Luzviminda was picked up by her brother in law, Digs Mangacorp, and the two drove the same hiway that Mangacorp's captors did on May 30th when they dragged him into oblivion. Shortly after arriving in Iligan City Luzviminda received a phone call from the negotiator, instructing her to proceed to a Jollibee fastfood resturant and await further instructions. Finally, just before 2PM, a handsome, soft spoken gentleman approached them and after exchanging coded messages, he graciously accepted the bag containing the ransom, exited the store, and promptly disappeared into the afternoon crowd.
Twenty minutes later Luzviminda received yet another call from the negotiator and was informed that her husband was being released and to await his arrival, early that evening, at that very same resturant. Waiting there all day, it was just past 10PM when Luzviminda was startled by her brother in law's screaming. Looking around frantically she saw her husband outside as he exited a taxi. Much thinner and alot dirtier than she had ever seen him, Charry T.Mangacop walked slowly into.the resturant and returned to the loving embrace of his wife.
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